Greater Bay Area: Hong Kong’s MedTech gateway to China and beyond

The Greater Bay Area (GBA) is emerging as a practical bridge for MedTech companies looking to connect Hong Kong with mainland China and, ultimately, wider Asian markets. At MedTech World Asia 2026 in Hong Kong, a panel of industry leaders explored how the region’s combination of market access, manufacturing capacity, talent and cross-border policies can help companies reduce the barriers to entering China.

Moderated by Patrick Nowlin, CEO of Attuned HealthTech, the discussion brought together Landon Lack, Founder and CEO of China MedConnect; Dr Justin Cheng, CEO and Co-Founder of SmartCare Technology; Meng Yan, Deputy General Manager of Hunan Xiangya Pharmaceutical; and Wing Chu, Deputy Director of Research at the Hong Kong Trade Development Council.

A region built around different strengths

Wing Chu opened with the scale of the GBA, pointing to a population of around 88 million and an economy of roughly US$2.2 trillion. But he argued that its value goes beyond size. The region brings together Hong Kong, Macau and nine mainland cities, each with different strengths and regulatory environments.

For Dr Justin Cheng, Hong Kong’s position within that network is also about people and communication. “We speak fluent science, we speak fluent business, and we speak fluent Chinese all at the same time.”

That combination, alongside Hong Kong’s IP protection and international connectivity, can give local companies a base from which to work with mainland partners and expand further into Asia.

A lower-risk route into China

For international MedTech companies, however, the question is not simply whether China is attractive, but how to enter without incurring high costs and risks.

Lack argued that the GBA can provide an intermediate step. Rather than committing immediately to a full mainland operation, companies can use the region to test products, work with hospitals and gather early evidence.

“GBA gives foreign companies, innovative, small to medium tech companies, the opportunity to essentially test out the waters and get their products into the hospitals.”

He also highlighted Shenzhen and the surrounding manufacturing ecosystem as an advantage for companies considering localisation. Producing locally can reduce logistics and other costs while allowing companies to develop products closer to the market.

For Hong Kong-based companies, Cheng sees the equation differently but with a similar outcome: Hong Kong can provide an international platform, while the wider GBA offers access to talent, hospitals, data, manufacturing and customers.

Data as a competitive advantage

Data was another major part of the discussion, particularly for AI-driven healthcare.

Cheng pointed to the GBA standard contract as a mechanism that can make cross-border data access more practical for companies operating from Hong Kong. He said the process can reduce the need for case-by-case approvals and shorten the filing process for certain data transfers.

For MedTech companies developing AI, the ability to combine mainland healthcare data with overseas datasets can be particularly relevant to model development and validation.

Chu added that the standard contract is one of the initiatives supporting cross-border cooperation, alongside arrangements that can facilitate the movement of capital, data and samples between participating areas.

From China to the global market

The conversation also turned in the opposite direction: how Chinese MedTech and pharmaceutical companies can use the GBA to internationalise.

From the perspective of a Chinese company, Meng Yan described the GBA as a two-way route, helping overseas companies enter China while giving mainland businesses a platform for international expansion. He highlighted the use of GBA policies to connect overseas technologies and clinical data with the mainland market and support Chinese products and technologies in reaching international markets.

Meng also pointed to Shenzhen’s manufacturing supply chain, talent and lower labour costs as advantages for R&D and rapid prototyping. His group’s approach is to combine Shenzhen-based R&D with operations in Hong Kong, then expand globally.

“We want to make better use of the GBA, particularly the advantages of Hong Kong and Macau in talent, policy, regulation, clinical data and finance, to help mainland Chinese companies go global.”

The panel ultimately presented the GBA less as a single market than as a connected ecosystem. For MedTech companies, its appeal lies in combining Hong Kong’s international platform with the mainland’s manufacturing, talent, clinical and commercial resources, creating multiple routes into China and out to the global market.

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